This invention relates to a tampon for feminine hygiene consisting of a length of a strip of cottonwool or rayon staple or combination thereof which is wrapped with overlap in a fluff-free or fuzz-free covering material and then cut into the desired lengths together with the covering material substantially perpendicularly of the overlap line and which is provided with a recovery thread applied parallel to or perpendicularly of the overlap line. After folding the cut edges, the tampon is compressed radially and/or axially relative to the overlap line. The invention also relates to a process for producing the tampon.
With conventional tampons, fibers or pieces of cottonwool can remain behind in the vagina. Accordingly, attempts have been made to cover the length of a fibrous strip of cottonwool or rayon staple or a combination thereof with moisture-pervious fluff-free or fuzz-free material during the manufacture of tampons. The covering in question may consist, for example, of rayon, synthetic fibers or of a mixture of these materials, preferably in a nonwoven form. For example, tampons are produced by a process in which the rectangular length of a strip of cottonwool or rayon staple or combination thereof is wrapped in a nonwoven and the associated recovery thread or recovery string is sewn on longitudinally of the strip. In that case, compression may be carried out radially and/or axially in relation to the longitudinal axis of the strip. Where compression is carried out radially, W-shaped folding, i.e. four-layer, folding is preferred. However, this process does not enable the tampon to be covered at its cut edges, i.e. at the head of the tampon and at its end, so that fibers are able to break loose there, that is, to break out from the cottonwool strip strip of cottonwool or rayon staple or combination thereof.
In another process used for producing tampons, the strip of cottonwool strip of cottonwool or rayon staple or combination thereof is wrapped in a nonwoven and then cut into rectangular sections. The length of the section to be compressed is determined by the width of the cottonwool strip strip of cottonwool or rayon staple or combination thereof. Accordingly, the recovery thread is fastened perpendicularly of, rather than parallel to, the overlap line of the covering material. In this process, too, W-shaped folding of the covered section of cottonwool strip strip of cottonwool or rayon staple or combination thereof is preferred, although the fold lines run parallel to the exposed cut edges. In this way, the exposed cut edges are displaced from the head and the end of the tampon onto its substantially cylindrical peripheral surface, although they are still exposed. Accordingly, fibers can become detached from the cut edges on removal of the tampon, particularly after it has expanded on taking up fluid.